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The casual dismissal didn’t bother Jake, but the look on Evelyn’s face, and the jerk’s hands on her like she was some possession, really did bother him. He wanted to grab the bastard by the scruff of his neck and shake him hard. He couldn’t care less about the crowd gathering around them, their attention dragged from the festivities to the progressively louder argument. He glared at “Charlie”. He figured he had a couple of inches and at least fifteen pounds in his favour – that and years of experience wrestling with less than co-operative patients. The slimeball in front of him, in his expensive looking clothes, looked like he’d struggle to tell one end of a cow from another.

‘She asked you to leave.’

‘It’s not any of your business.’ The slimeball flicked his head at Jake.

‘Actually, I think you’ll find it is,’ Jake all but growled. ‘Get your hands off her.’

‘Oh …’ Realisation dawned over the idiot’s face. ‘This is why you’re not interested. You’ve already got a new lay.’ He shook Evelyn.

The world around Jake ran in slow motion as Evelyn’s hair bounced back and forth as her head was jerked by the moron shaking her. He saw red, and almost all thoughts vanished as his focus narrowed on the hands hurting the woman he loved.

He grabbed the moron and jerked him away from Evelyn. ‘You do not get to speak to her like that. And you do not get to touch her.’

The idiot shoved him hard, and grinned like the loser he was as Jake was forced to take a couple of steps back to keep his balance. Charlie took full advantage of the moment to grab Evelyn and drag her away, nearly yanking her arm from its socket. Jake’s heart leaped as he watched Evelyn react faster than he could reach her, drawing her arm back and landing a punch square on the dimwit’s jaw that sent him staggering backwards, his eyes wide in shock as he crashed into a bin.

Jake put himself firmly between Evelyn and Charlie, just in case the idiot was angry and stupid enough to try and hurt her. ‘I suggest you walk away.’ He ground the words out, fighting to control his anger and remember everything about how he’d been brought up to use words instead of fists.

‘You can keep the dirty whore and her cancer-ridden brat.’ He spat the words at Jake.

Before he’d even had a chance to process the disgusting words, Evelyn had already launched herself at the jerk, but Jake caught her around the waist and pulled her into his arms. ‘He’s not worth it, Evelyn. He’s just a boil spewing pus – a disgusting growth no one wants. Don’t lower yourself to his level.’

She was shaking with fury in his arms, but he held her tightly until she nodded against his shoulder.

‘Just fuck off then. Stupid bitch.’

Jake whirled on the idiot, fighting his own urge to finish what Evelyn had started and really beat some manners into the arsehole. ‘Don’t you ever, ever speak about Evelyn or Summer in those terms. They’re far too good for you. You didn’t deserve them when they were in your life, and you were stupid enough to let them go. Believe me when I say I won’t make the same mistake.’

He wrapped his arm back around Evelyn, wanting to protect her from being hurt. Ever again. ‘Shall we go find Summer?’

She nodded, and buried her face against his shoulder, trusting him to guide her.

‘I’m going to bloody well sue you. I’ll take everything you’ve got.’ Charlie struggled to his feet behind them. ‘I’ll fucking destroy you, and take Summer.’

Evelyn span back so quickly that she jarred Jake’s arm. ‘No you won’t, Charlie. Because if you do, I’ll make sure everyone knows who you are, and everything you’ve done. I’ve kept quiet for this long because I didn’t want to hurt Summer by letting her find out how pathetic you are. But I don’t think she’d be that bothered any more. If you’d stayed in contact at all, you’d know this, but she’s stopped calling you “Dad”. She doesn’t even think of you as her dad any more. And you know what? She’s better off without you. We both are. So you just go ahead and try it. I dare you. And when I’m done making sure everyone, everyone whose opinion you care about, knows exactly what type of sleaze you are, then I’ll sue you for every penny of child support you owe us. Have I made myself clear?’

Charlie nodded silently.

‘Good. Now go sort yourself out, Charlie. Crawl back into your hole and see if you can evolve into someone resembling the man I once thought you were. Maybe then, we can talk. But right now, you can stuff off.’ She led Jake away.

‘Are your all right, love?’ An older man he didn’t recognise approached them, speaking to Evelyn.

She nodded. ‘I’m fine, thank you, Mr. Mason. I just want to go and sit somewhere quiet for a while.’

‘Of course.’ The man nodded. ‘But if he does try anything, you’ve got us all as witnesses.’

‘Thank you.’ Evelyn nodded. ‘But he won’t.’

‘Were you telling the truth, are you really all right?’ Jake asked quietly.

‘Not here. Please.’ Evelyn shot him a glance that was full of tension.

‘OK.’ He guided her gently away from the crowds. ‘We can go to mine?’

She nodded.

Neither of them spoke on the way back, and he kept Evelyn tucked tightly against his side, hoping that he’d help her to stop shaking.

She winced when he took her hand to lead her inside. ‘Ouch, your fingers look sore.’